Week 35 — The Return

This week we are seeing the impacts of Trump’s staffing cuts and selection of unqualified sycophants to run federal agencies. Tragedy struck in Texas, as flooding caused by a storm in Kerr County claimed more than 100 lives, with at least 173 still missing five days later. Questions arose about Trump’s and Elon Musk’s DOGE’s cuts to agencies and departments, as well as their current leadership. Also this week, the country hit another tragic milestone, as the U.S. measles outbreak climbed to a 33-year high, a reversal for a disease that was previously considered to be eliminated.

This week Trump signed his so-called big, beautiful bill into law, which was wildly unpopular according to polls, in a made-for-TV type ceremony on July 4th. Trump and his regime, as well as Republicans in Congress, have repeatedly used lies in their effort to sell and defend the bill. Some of the cruelest impacts, including cuts in Medicaid that will cause millions to lose healthcare coverage, are set to phase in after the 2026 midterm elections.

Finally, this week the MAGAverse finds itself at war with itself, as many in the movement question Trump’s decision to strike Iran, his statements on protecting immigrants in certain industries, granting aid to Ukraine, and an announcement this week by his attorney general that there is no Jeffrey Epstein client list. A social media battle has ensued. Meanwhile, Elon Musk announced the formation of a third party, the America Party, and ramped up his attacks on Trump and the Epstein files.

1. NYT reported Dr. Vinay Prasad, the FDA’s new chief medical and scientific officer, overruled the agency’s top vaccine staff members on both approving the Novavax vaccine, an alternative to mRNA shots, and by limiting the use of all Covid vaccines to people 65 and older.
2. The move shocked FDA officials. Prasad filed a “center director override memo,” a document used in rare instances when top officials substitute their decisions over the findings of staff experts, and claimed there could be vaccine-related injuries that have yet to be discovered.
3. Six leading medical organizations sued Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and HHS, claiming the decisions limiting access to vaccines were unscientific and harmful to the public, and seeking to restore Covid vaccines as recommended immunizations for healthy children and pregnant women.
4. Data from Johns Hopkins University revealed the U.S. measles outbreak had climbed to 1,277 cases, a 33-year high, and a reversal after the disease was officially eliminated in the U.S. in 2000. The CDC reported 92% of cases are among the unvaccinated or vaccine status unknown.
5. On Thursday, the Environmental Protection Agency suspended 144 of the employees who had signed on to a letter criticizing Trump and EPA administrator Lee Zeldin for politicizing the agency, and said the agency would conduct an investigation into their decision to sign the letter.
6. In justifying the suspensions, the agency cited the signatories using their official titles, and claimed the letter had denigrated the agency’s leadership. The move set off alarms with EPA employees, lawyers, and advocates, who called it a violation of First Amendment rights.
7. NYT reported the Energy Department has hired at least three scientists who are well known for rejecting the consensus on climate change. The move came after the regime fired hundreds of scientists and experts who compiled the government’s flagship report on climate change.
8. WAPO reported that Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who previously was a well-known critic of the so-called deep state, has formed a team called Director’s Initiative Group, which seeks to enforce Trump’s agenda through spying.
9. According to Gabbard’s office, DIG’s mission is to enforce Trump’s executive orders to end the “weaponization” of the federal government, declassify documents, and halt diversity, equity and inclusion programs. The move is unprecedented.
10. DIG has requested emails and chat logs from the largest U.S. spy agencies, and will harness artificial intelligence tools to ferret out what the regime deems to be anything undermining Trump’s agenda. So far, no U.S. spy agencies have complied.
11. The WSJ Editorial Board chastised Trump over his “lawfare” against the media, including recently CNN and Paramount, citing he is “using government to intimidate news outlets that publish stories he doesn’t like. It’s a low move in a free country with a free press.”
12. NYT reported that liberal groups are seeking to raise $250 million to help fund the pushback against Trump’s authoritarian moves. The group seeks to keep a low profile and not draw attention from the White House, and offer progressive donors a glimmer of hope.
13. Monies would not go to partisan organizations, but rather to groups or individuals that file lawsuits against the government or provide security and safety for activists, as well as news media organizations or nonprofits seen as essential to the functions of democracy.
14. On Wednesday, a federal appeals court ruled that Trump can remove Susan Tsui Grundmann, a Democrat, from the independent agency the Federal Labor Relations Authority, citing the May Supreme Court ruling that allowed Trump to fire members of nonpartisan agencies.
15. A YouGov poll found that Trump’s approval with Gen Z voters has plummeted from a net -4 on Election Day, to -23 in May, and most recently to -41 points for June, in a poll conducted June 26–30.
16. On Thursday, after the House passed Trump’s tax bill 218–214, Social Security Administration commissioner Frank Bisignano celebrated the passage in an email blast to Americans on their contact list, claiming, “This is a historic step forward for America’s seniors.”
17. The email falsely claimed that the legislation eliminated federal income taxes on most retirees’ benefits. In fact, the law does not include a tax cut on social security payments, only on overall income. Also, more than half already have income too low to be taxed.
18. The email also falsely claimed that the legislation will protect Social Security. Experts say the decrease in revenue will actually weaken the program’s finances, which could lead to millions of Americans facing reductions in their benefits in the future.
19. ABC News reported that according to an audio recording, Bisignano, who was hired from Wall Street, said that when Trump offered him the job, he had to Google the position he was offered, adding, “I’m like, what the heck’s the commissioner of Social Security?”’
20. On Thursday, in what was dubbed a bipartisan celebration in Iowa, meant to be a way to sell his bill to the American people, Trump kicked off his speech by saying he hated Democrats: “I really do. I hate them. I cannot stand them, because I really believe they hate our country.”
21. Trump also said, “I got myself into a little trouble because I said I don’t want to take people away from the farmers,” and announced legislation was underway to protect some migrants from being “thrown out pretty viciously” by his regime’s immigration raids.
22. He added that some “serious radical-right people” in his political base “may not be quite as happy.” Members of the MAGA base accused Trump of giving amnesty to illegal immigrants, which Trump repeatedly pushed back on, saying, “I never talked about amnesty.”
23. Trump also confirmed plans to host a UFC fight card on the White House grounds as part a celebration honoring America’s 250th birthday on July 4, 2026, saying, “We’re going to have a UFC fight on the grounds of the White House,” adding, “We have a lot of land there.”
24. Trump’s bill was rushed through Congress, after he set a July 4 deadline so he could sign it into law on July 4th at 5 PM, with military planes flying over the White House, in a ceremony staged like a campaign rally. Trump said, “America’s winning, winning, winning like never before.”
25. Trump told reporters he would start to “notify” countries about tariffs “starting tomorrow,” as his 90 day pause was set to end without a single deal finalized. Trump added, “They’ll range in value from maybe 60 or 70 percent tariffs to 10 and 20 percent tariffs.”
26. On Monday, Planned Parenthood sued the Trump regime over a provision in his legislation which blocks Medicaid funding for one year for health care providers that perform abortions. Advocates called the provision a “backdoor abortion ban.”
27. Planned Parenthood said the law would have “catastrophic” consequences, impacting nearly 200, or about one-third, of the group’s clinics, and said more than 1.1 million patients would lose access to care, including STI treatment, birth control, and cancer screenings.
28. A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump regime from enforcing the funding ban for 14 days.
29. On Wednesday, a federal judge barred the Trump regime from enacting his executive order, which cited an “invasion” on the border to invoke emergency powers and expel asylum seekers, saying it created an “alternative immigration system” that tramples on existing federal law.
30. The judge stayed his ruling for 14 days, noting it would likely be appealed and head to the Supreme Court. A White House spokesperson said the judge “has no authority to stop President Trump and the United States from securing our border from the flood of aliens trying to enter illegally.”
31. On Wednesday, in a court filing, Kilmar Abrego Garcia described his treatment at Salvadoran prison CECOT, saying he suffered “severe beatings,” sleep deprivation, malnutrition, and other forms of torture.
32. Although the Trump regime had told a federal judge that Abrego Garcia was “in good health” and had “gained weight” before he was moved out of CECOT, in the filing he said he had lost 31 pounds in his first two weeks there.
33. On Monday, U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis found Abrego Garcia can move forward with legally challenging his wrongful deportation to El Salvador by the Trump regime, even though the regime brought him back to the U.S. to face criminal charges.
34. On Monday, the DOJ said it would deport Abrego Garcia again before his criminal trial if he is released from custody next week, contradicting a statement by the White House last month that rumors of their doing so were “fake news.”
35. On Monday, lawyers for deported Venezuelan men showed in a court filing that the government of El Salvador recently told the United Nations that it bears no legal responsibility for the men deported by the Trump regime, despite the Trump regime claiming the opposite in court.
36. Reuters reported the U.S. military will send 200 Marines to Florida to provide administrative and logistical support to ICE. The Marines will be prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody, or involvement in the custody chain.
37. WAPO reported experts cite considerable risks at the hastily constructed detention center, Alligator Alcatraz, including the summer heat, the location in a flood zone during storm season, and mosquito-borne disease. The detention center does not meet hurricane code.
38. On Monday, 90 heavily armed troops and 17 military Humvees accompanied federal border agents on an immigration raid at MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. The Mayor called it “a political agenda of provoking fear and terror,” and the Governor called it “theater.”
39. On Thursday, the Supreme Court ruled the Trump regime can deport eight men, who had been temporarily held at an American military base in Djibouti, to South Sudan. The men had no ties to South Sedan, and it was unclear what would happen to them when they got there.
40. Late Friday, just before midnight, the eight men, who had been shackled for weeks inside an air-conditioned shipping container, arrived in South Sudan, a 13 year-old country on the brink of a civil war, rife with “crime, kidnapping and armed conflict.”
41. On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said it would end protections for migrants from Honduras and Nicaragua that allowed them to work in the U.S., under the Temporary Protected Status program, saying the program was meant to be temporary.
42. On Wednesday, a federal magistrate judge in Wisconsin recommended that the case against Milwaukee judge Hannah Dugan, who was arrested in April by the Trump regime for concealing a person that ICE was trying to arrest, continue, saying there is no shield from prosecution.
43. On Saturday, Elon Musk announced on X that he had formed a third party the day after Trump signed the tax bill, posting, “You want a new political party and you shall have it!” and “Today, the America Party is formed to give you back your freedom.”
44. Musk added that his new party would focus on next year’s midterm elections, looking to unseat Republicans who backed Trump’s tax bill. He would aim to win enough seats to have a voice on close votes in the House and Senate.
45. Stars and Stripes reported the U.S. Air Force suspended plans it had proposed with Musk’s SpaceX to test hypersonic rocket cargo deliveries from a remote Pacific atoll.
46. On Sunday, Musk posted on X, “Backing a candidate for president is not out of the question, but the focus for the next 12 months is on the House and the Senate.”
47. On Sunday, Treasury Sec. Scott Bessent said Musk should stay out of politics: “I imagine that those boards (Tesla and SpaceX) of directors did not like this announcement yesterday and will be encouraging him to focus on his business activities, not his political activities.”
48. Musk responded on X, saying, “Bessent is a Soros stooge. And he’s a political science major who can’t even do math,” but also noting that DOGE had hurt his brand, adding, “The polling for me was very positive a year ago, which is why Trump used me so much.”
49. Asked for a comment by reporters on Sunday, Trump said, “I think it’s ridiculous,” adding, “I think starting a third party just adds to confusion,” and “Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”
50. Later Sunday, Trump attacked Musk, posting on Truth Social, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’” adding, “He even wants to start a Third Political Party, despite the fact that they have never succeeded in the United States.”
51. On Monday, amid the Trump-Musk feud, Attorney General Pam Bondi walked backed the conspiracy of a Jeffrey Epstein client list being held at the DOJ, saying it “doesn’t exist,” after previously suggesting on Fox News that such a document was “sitting on my desk” for review.
52. Bondi also said there was not enough evidence to bring charges “against uncharged third parties,” and that “no further disclosure would be appropriate or warranted,” after previously promising to disclose a series of names and further evidence, as well as criminal prosecutions.
53. Far-right MAGA activists were outraged, and targeted Bondi. Laura Loomer posted on X, “Blondi [sic] should be fired,” adding, “I think she’s trying to protect herself from her own horrible record and Epstein’s crimes, which trace back to her time as AG of Florida.”
54. MAGA activists also turned on FBI director Kash Patel, deputy director of the FBI Dan Bongino, and Vice President JD Vance, all of whom had previously pushed conspiracy theories involving Epstein before joining the White House, but now remained silent.
55. On Tuesday, Musk again teased about Trump and Epstein on X, posting they “have not even tried to file charges against anyone on the Epstein client list,” and “How can people be expected to have faith in Trump if he won’t release the Epstein files?”
56. On Wednesday, Linda Yaccarino, the chief executive of X, announced on X that she would step down, after two years of running the company. No reason was given. Yaccarino claimed 96% of X’s previous top brand advertisers have returned to spending money there during her tenure.
57. On Thursday, AG Bondi said in a letter to tech companies that Trump had decided that shutting down TikTok would interfere with his “constitutional duties,” so he was overriding the law using “core presidential national security and foreign affairs powers.”
58. NYT reported after a deadly storm in Kerr County, Texas, officials blamed the National Weather Service for issuing forecasts on Wednesday that underestimated the amount of rain coming. More than 100 had died in the storm, including 27 at a local camp.
59. The NWS’s San Angelo office, which covers most of the flooded area, was missing a senior hydrologist, staff forecaster, and meteorologist. A nearby office that covers some of the flooded area had recent cuts including a warning coordination meteorologist and science officer.
60. The lower NWS headcount after Trump’s cuts also left remaining employees with less time to spend coordinating with local officials. The regime also froze spending on travel, making it harder for NWS staff members to meet with their state and local counterparts.
61. Reuters reported many experts say cutting thousands of job cuts from the NWS and its parent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration left weather offices understaffed and may have led to the failure to accurately predict the severity of the storm.
62. AP reported the NWS office responsible for that region had five staffers on overnight duty as the storm hit, an unusually low number when severe weather is expected. Coordination between NWS and local officials on the night of the disaster was also limited with short staff.
63. Staffing at National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was also unusually low. Although the regime had said it would hire to fill more than 100 “mission-critical field positions,” those positions had not yet been publicly posted.
64. Recently NOAA curtailed the frequency of regional forecasts and weather balloon launches, and said the Department of Defense would no longer process or transmit data from three weather satellites, said by experts to be crucial in predicting the path and strength of hurricanes.
65. Later Sunday, when Trump was asked if he still planned to phase out FEMA, he said, “Well FEMA is something we can talk about later.” FEMA was activated on Sunday and was deploying resources to first responders in Texas, after Trump had said disaster response would be states’ responsibilities.
66. Asked if the cuts to the NWS hobbled the response, Trump obfuscated and tried to blame Biden, saying, “That water situation, that all is, and that was really the Biden setup,” adding, “But I wouldn’t blame Biden for it, either. I would just say this is 100-year catastrophe.”
67. NYT reported that days later, FEMA officials and disaster experts say the agency has been slow to activate certain teams that coordinate response and search-and-rescue efforts, as the death toll reached 111 people, with at least 173 people still missing.
68. As of Tuesday, FEMA has deployed 70 search-and-rescue workers to Kerr County, while the state had deployed more than 1,750 personnel and more than 975 vehicles and other equipment.
69. Since Trump took office, FEMA has lost about a quarter of its staff, including some of its most experienced leaders, including the head of the agency’s disaster command center. The current head of the agency has no experience with disaster response.
70. On Monday, Trump criticized Brazilian authorities, as the trial of his ally, former leader Jair Bolsonaro, got underway, posting on Truth Social that it was a “witch hunt,” and that Brazil “is doing a terrible thing in their treatment” of Bolsonaro, who “is not guilty of anything.”
71. On Monday, two days before the end of his 90 day tariff pause, Trump imposed new tariffs on 14 countries. Despite promises of 90 deals in 90 days, his regime had yet to finalize a single deal, only negotiating two framework deals with the U.K. and Vietnam.
72. Trump signed an executive order extending his 90 day pause, and posted form letters on Truth Social that were sent to Japan, South Korea, and 12 other countries, saying they will face tariffs of 25–36% unless they complete a deal with the U.S. by August 1.
73. Later Monday, at a White House dinner with senior Israeli officials, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu flattered Trump, presenting him with a letter that he said he had written to nominate him for the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump appearing pleased by the gesture, and thanked him.
74. Trump again threatened NYC mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani, saying, “He needs the money through the White House. He needs a lot. He will behave,” adding, “He better behave. Otherwise, he will have big problems.”
75. On Tuesday, Trump held a cabinet meeting, which featured his cabinet members heaping praise on him. During the 104 minute meeting, Trump’s mood shifted from sunny to surly.
76. Trump vented about Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, “I think he’s terrible,” adding that if Powell had lied to Congress about the renovations to the agency’s headquarters, as alleged by his regime, “then he should resign immediately.”
77. Trump also complained about Russian President Vladimir Putin as he stepped up aid to Ukraine after suspending it, saying, “We get a lot of bull — — thrown at us by Putin,” adding, “He’s very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless,” and he “is not treating human beings right.”
78. Trump attacked the media, saying, “It’s hard to have a really successful country if you have a corrupt media,” complaining about the NYT and CNN reporting on the Defense Intelligence Agency report on his Iran strike, which he continued to claim had “obliterated” its targets.
79. He later snapped at a reporter who asked about Epstein, saying, “Are you still talking about Jeffrey Epstein?” adding, “I can’t believe you’re asking a question on Epstein at a time like this” noting his “greatest success” and “what happened in Texas,” calling it “a desecration.”
80. Trump also told at least 11 lies and misleading claims during the cabinet meeting, on subjects ranging from the economy, taxes, tariffs, the environment, foreign affairs, and immigration.
81. On Monday, Veterans Affairs reversed its previous announcement of large scale layoffs, saying it would reduce staff by nearly 30,000 through retirements, attrition, and deferred resignations, after previously saying it would cut 83,000 employees because of pressure from DOGE.
82. The shift came after the VA faced pushback from veterans’ groups, Congress, and VA staffers who warned that the cuts hurt veterans, who have already been hit disproportionately by cuts to the federal workforce. The move may also reflect a decline in power of DOGE.
83. On Tuesday, in an unsigned opinion, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump can proceed, for now, with his executive order for mass layoffs and dismantling of federal agencies, lifting a federal court order that had blocked mass layoffs. No vote count was given.
84. The ruling will likely result in the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers at agencies including the Departments of Housing and Urban Development, Treasury, and State, where 2,000 employees were targeted for immediate layoffs.
85. On Wednesday, the Trump regime again attacked Harvard University by notifying the college’s accreditor, claiming that the school was “in violation of federal anti-discrimination laws,” and also possibly out of compliance with the group’s standards.
86. NYT reported as Trump’s social media company, Trump Media, which includes Truth Social, has struggled with revenue falling, the company is transitioning to become a major player in the crypto industry. Trump has no official role in the company, but is its largest shareholder.